Bhubaneswar: After Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, two more Rajya Sabha MPs of BJD will soon quit the regional party and join BJP, claimed a saffron party MLA in Odisha today.

“Two more Rajya Sabha MPs of BJD, one is veteran and another one is a greenhorn, will soon resign from the regional party in Odisha and join the BJP,” said the saffron party MLA from Pallahara Ashok Mohanty.

The BJD will have no representation in the Rajya Sabha. All Rajya Sabha MPs of BJD will quit the party one after another, predicted the BJP MLA.

In a related development, senior BJP MLA and former Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra also predicted a bleak future for the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in Odisha.

“The Bjiu Janata Dal (BJD) will vanish from the political scenario in Odisha, if there is a little effort from BJP. All BJD leaders will quit the regional party. Even BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik may jump the ship,” said Mishra.

The BJD, however, asserted that the party is united under its leader and five-time former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“None of the seven Rajya Sabha MPs of BJD will quit the party. All MPs of the party are doing their work properly. If the BJP has the information that two Rajya Sabha MPs of BJD will resign from the party, then the BJP leaders should reveal the names of those two parliamentarians,” said BJD Rajya Sabha MP Munna Khan.

Khan, however, alleged that the BJP is trying its best to finish the BJD in the state.

“They have been trying since long to finish BJD. But, they will not succeed as no one will quit the regional party,” Khan asserted.

A few days after the defeat of BJD in this year’s Assembly polls in Odisha, Mamata Mohanta resigned from the Rajya Sabha as well as the primary membership of the regional party. She latter joined the BJP and got elected to the Upper House again on a saffron party ticket.

Similarly, Sujeet Kumar joined BJP after resigning from the BJD and the Rajya Sabha a few months ago.

The BJP has recently nominated Kumar as its candidate for the lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha.